Antiskid device for motor-vehicles.



i. 8. SWUPE.

ANTISKIU DEVECE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLECATION FILiD MAY? [917.

.latvnted May 14. 1918.

ATTOR'N EY LSJUTHFR It. SWOPE, F HANOVER, PENNSYLVANIA.

AMTISKID DEVICE F0? MOTOR-VEHICLES.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1918.

Application filed May 2, 1917. Serial No. 168,005.

To all when; it may; concern:

Be it known. tlmt LUTl-IEE citisen of the United States, residing at 312 Franklin f it, l-lcur'wvr. in the county of York and f Peruasylvuniu, ho V0 in vented no. us ul ,l-r-i in itntisitifi ifur i olziclcs, of which the to. caring 1. 1 ih'itjon.

Th s inve ti n chive to ipi'meuwuts in antikid w '5 Mr usitlll' il'l iinolnr vehicles, and. with. .gurd to (he more specific tcatu then t. has 'iitl'thilifii' reference to novel vices wh ch are applicable for service inthskid devices upon motorcycles and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide on anti-skid device capable of being firmly and securely associated with the ordinary motor vehicle wheel and its associated pneumutic tive in. :1. simple and convenient man.- ner. and one which will be reliable and ciliclout in operation. of durable and staunch construction, so as not to be liable to become ucciclentull displaced from an operative position, or to give rise to structural disorders.

Another object resides in an anti-skid chain structure primarily adaptable for use upon [he power imparting wheel of a motor cycle, and having peculiar features of construction which enable the same to be continuousiy carried by the Wheel, so that when the chains thereof are not in use, the same may be associated with the spokes of the wheel in a secure manner, so as to eliminate the necessity of removing the structure from the wheel when it is not employed or needed.

Other objects will. be in part obvious, and in. art pointed out hereinafter.

'lPhc invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully set forth, and described, and pointed out with particularity in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

F i re 1 is a side elevation of a. motor vehic e wheel rim and tire, illustrating the application of the preferred form 0 the aiiti-skiddvice, comprising the present 1nvention, thereto.

Fig. 2 is transverse sectional View taken R. Sworn, 2.

along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 the part being shown on a slightly color (1 scale.

Fig. 3 ,is a. perspective vlew of one of the securing clamps employed by the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a blank view of the material from which the clump is formed.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing a method of uniting the meeting extremities of the trend chain of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view disclosing a slightly modified form of clamp, and

Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating the manner of associating the tread chains with the spokes of a. vehicle wheel, when the device is in an inactive or on, of service position.

Similar characters of reference denote cor responding parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, use is made of anti-skid device A, which is adapted to be associated with the wheel 10 of u motor-driven vehicle (not shown) so as to enable the latter to operate with safety over slippery or wet roadbeds, and to provide the necessary grip for the surface of the wheel to effect the propulsion of the vehicle when the latter is operating over sandy or bog-like surfaces.

To this end the device is formed to provide a rim clamp 11, which is preferably formed from steel or the like, and consists of a onepiece structure, stamped from a sheet of material to provide upwardly curved or bent rim enlgaging fingers 12, the fingers being of a resi lent nature, so that when the clamp is positioned upon the rim 13 of the Wheel 10, said fin ers-will firmly grip the rim to retain the 0 amp in an operative and secure position thereon. In order to connect the chain 14 with the clamp, the latter is provided on one end, between the fingers 12, with an integral, curved, and substantiall S shaped hook 15. The end link 16 of the chain is a rin adapted to engage with the hook, and to t is end it is provided with a reduced or flattened portion 17 which is sufficiently small to he slipped into the restricted throat 18 of the hook, located between the shank of the latt r. and the under surface ol the clamp. Then when the ring s turned to bring the portion 1? many from the opening IH. it will be practically impossible to force it out of engagement with the hook, this l'catnrtlln-rcby preventing th chain from becoming accidentally disconnected from the clamp when the S'iltlll is in an applied position arolnnl the tire l.) of the wheel.

hen applied in an active position upon the wheel 10. the chain is adapted to transversely encircle the tire 19, so as to stirround the tread of the latter, and the extremity oi the chain, opposite to the link i is formed with a hook link it twisted wire clement ll connects the link it) to Ulll end of a helical spring 22, the latt r being trained through an evi- 23. formed in a do pending projection Bl. intcgrztll. tornn'tl with the clamp it. The other cm! at the spring is provided, it til a llllt' kl'll humanity which is operable to l. ha d -ml w the lower end of the hook l5. and to ac omplish this it is necessary to place the spring antler tension, thereby drawing the chain 1 l tightly upon the outer surface of the tire 19. yet. permitting of a slight circumferential move ment thereof over the tread of the tire, so as to prevent excessive wear of any single part of the latter.

Situated centrally of the chain element 14 is a master link 25, which is formed with a ventral opening, said link being disposed so as to lie contiguous to the central part of the tire 19, as is best shown ih Fig. 2 of the drawings. 'A wound wire cable or a like equivalent is trained through the opening of the link and through similar openings formed in the other of the devices A carried by the wheel 1t so that. the cable will circnmferentially surround the tire 19, and will enhance the grip of the wheel .10 upon a roadbed. The ends of the cable are ably connegted by reducing the diameter of the extrem ty as at 26, and by screwii g the same int he interior of the adjoining extremity 2 This construction is very cilicient as it efi'ectively prevents the said extremities from becoming separated.

When the devices A are employed upon motorcycles, it is not necessary to remove the chains from the wheel 10, when the same are not being utilized. This convenience is obtained by simply removing each spring 22 from engagement with the hook 15. carry ing its loose end with the cable around the tire 19. so that the chain may lie across and in between the. wire spokes 27. Then the tree. hooked ends of the springs are slipped around the spokes, as shown in Fig. 7, however, to accomplish this it is necessary to place the springs under tension, thus drawmg the Cha n taut, so as to prevent undue prefer vibration or other movement thereof, and at the same time insuring a strong connection between the springs and spokes.

In Fig. 6 a slightly modified form of clamp is shown. This clamp, designated by the letter B, consists of a two-part structure instead of the one-piece construction involvcd in the preferred form of the invenlion the clamp B being formed in two parts to facilitate its application to the rim 30 of a wheel. To this end the section 31 of the clamp is provided with a curved rim engaging extremity 32 and with depending rojection 33 on its opposite extremity. he 00- operating section 34 is similarly formed with the exception that the depending projection 35 thereof terminates in an eye 36, and is also provided with a threaded opening 37 to receive a binding screw 38. The latter passes through an openin formed in the projection 35 and is proviced with. an enlarged head. flt. will be manifest that by rotating the screw 38, the two sections of the clamp may be drawn together so as to securely fasten the clamp about the rim 30. The section 34 is further rovided wi h a hook 39, to which is secure a split ring 40, carried by a chain element 41. The latter is adapted to encircle the tire of the wheel in the usual manner, and the opposite extremity thereof is provided with a helical spring 42, similar to the spring 22, which is adapted to be connected with the eye 36 of the projection 35, whereby the chain element will be retained in a service imparting position upon the tire of the wheel.

From the foregoing it, will be seen that there is provided mechanism whereb the objects of the invention have been achieved. and that all of the advantageous features of utility. adjustment and constructionabove mci'iticned are." amon others, present. The devices can be cheap y manufactured, easily applied to a motor vehicle wheel, and will be reliable and efiicient in operation. In view of the above description, it is thought that the features of the invention will be appreciated by those versed in the art, and therefore, a more extended ex lanation relative thereto will be according y omitted.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a rim-clamp and an S- shaped hook near one end thereof and a radial projection near the other end provided with an eye; of a chain adapted to extend transversely around the tire, a helical sprin at one end of the chain extending through said eye and connected with the outer bend of said hook, and the other end of the chain being connected with the inner bend of said hook and adapted to pass between the shank of the hook and the clamp for the purpose set forth.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a rim-clamp and an S- shaped hook near one end thereof and a radial projection near the other end provided with an e e, of a chain adapted to extend transverse v around the tire and ha-vin one end connected. with the outer bend 0 said hook a resilient element arranged in the length of said chain, and a ring she ad link arranged at the other end of the c ain for 10 connection with the inner bend of said 1100 and said link having a thin portion adap to pass between the shank of the hook and the clamp for the purpose a ecified.

In testimony whereof I a m signature. 16

LUTHER R. WOPE. 

